My work specializes in communication, organizational change and leadership development with a MS in Management, a BS in Speech, Business and Organization and Certifications as an Instructor/Facilitator .
As a dedicated employee of BCBSMA since 2004 and a private consulting practice, I develop communication strategies to solve issues, manage change and improve relationships. In my role as a trainer, I teach Communication Skills from basic to advanced including Motivational Interviewing, negotiations, and conflict management. My primary work includes working with physicians, nurses and behavioral health professionals to support their work with patients and providers. In working with teams and leaders, the application of MI works to develop staff and manage change.
The Spirit of MI fuels my dedication and passion for the work I get to do everyday. I am grateful to the generous members of MINT who contribute to my personal and professional development.
As a communication consultant, I provide consulting and training to develop communication skills to healthcare professionals. The curriculum provides skills and stategies for complex communication and professional development. Motivational Interviewing (MI) helps our clinicians in their conversations with patients who struggle with a medical diagnosis, health style changes, and their emotional health. In addition to clinical conversations, the series includes essential elements for becoming more confident in the business side of health care developing professional presences, business savvy, and presentation skills. The ability to listen with empathy is an important part of our leadership and change management efforts to grow our organization to meet the ever change healthcare industry.
In 2010 I started the MI Community (MIC), a group of dedicated MI practitioners working to increase their fidelity in applying MI to their work. The community grew to a loyal membership across the organization. In addition to instructor-led classes taught in-person and virtual settings, I offer small group practice sessions each month to continue group learning and practice and individual coaching to help apply MI to specific members, clients and cases by reviewing recorded calls with the practitioner.
The MI program promotes member engagement in our case management programs with a reached rate of 80%. MI is applied to the utilization reviewers' conversations with providers to be more collaborative. In 2010, I conducted an engagement study. The study group received additional MI training beyond the core class while control group received only the core training. The study group increased its use of MI by 20% and the engagement rate for the same group also increased by 20%, while the control group stayed the same.
The physician groups who are members of BCBSMA's Alternative Quality Contract (AQC) program, attend my MI classes at our site in North Quincy or at their locations for their teams to learn together.
The program strengths are rooted in the participants' dedication to positively impact those we serve. ~ Katherine
